


Once Upon An Etta

by SketchbookThingz



Category: Fringe, Once Upon A Time - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-07
Updated: 2015-07-29
Packaged: 2018-02-12 05:56:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 12,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2098194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SketchbookThingz/pseuds/SketchbookThingz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is for  <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/users/kamikatzenmama"> Kamikatzenmama </a><br/>who is part of the fringe family.</p><p>Etta did not die in the warehouse, as we were all led to believe. She actually had more of her mother in her, then we were led to believe</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kamikatzenmama](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kamikatzenmama/gifts).



> Etta did not die.  
> And this is the true story of what happened after that explosion in the warehouse.

Etta did not die in the warehouse that day, as everyone was led to believe. What everyone didn’t know was that she was born with extraordinary powers, due to her mothers cortexiphan abilities, that not even she knew she had. 

As the antimatter blast went off, her body had already began to heal itself, as her mothers once did. The last images in her head were of that park, she thought happy things, and with a smile on her face, she closed her eyes. The trees, the air, the flowers, her parents, the blue sky, they all invaded her brain. She just kept thinking about flowers, it had been so long since she seen them. Oh, how she would like to see them again. 

What Etta did not realize was her happiness triggered her abilities, and like her mother before her, she opened a portal to a world not even the Fringe division knew existed.

When she finally awoke, she was propped up against a tree, in a beautiful forest. Had she died and gone to heaven? Wasn't heaven supposed to be fluffy clouds and white light?

She began to walk, and walk, and walk. The more she walked, the more she began to see that she was not in heaven, but rather in another world, dare she say a magical one. As she explored, and maneuvered around some dangers, she began to feel tired and hungry. She sat down to rest underneath a giant tree, thinking about what to do next, when a man startled her. “Hello.”

She turned around to find a strange man with a strange large hat standing on a rock. She didn’t say anything, just stared at the man. “You’re not from around here, are you?” he said as he began to circle around her.

“No,” she simply said as she looks around at the forest again.

“I’m not.”

“Do tell,” he says as he gets closer to her. “Where do you come from.”

“You wouldn’t believe me.” she laughed. He held his hand out for her to take, but she didn't take it. "I don't think I believe it myself." 

“Oh really?” he said with a smile on his lip, as if challenging her. "Try me." 

Etta thought about it for moment, but decided against it. At least for now. “I’m hungry, could you help me?” Etta asked as her stomach began to hurt again.

“Well,” the strange man said, as he circled her again, “I could, but I don’t even know your name.” He began to walk away, when Etta yelled. "Wait." 

“Etta,” she simply said. “My name is Etta.”

He, again, held out his hand for her to take, and this time she took it, with a smile he said. “And my name is Jefferson.”


	2. Chapter 2

It had been two months since Etta landed in the Enchanted Forest, and she had to admit that she enjoyed it. From time to time, she would think about her parents, and her grandfather, but she knew that this was the way it had to be. She didn't know why she was here, but she knew it was for a reason. 

Jefferson would teach her how to pick the right berries, and which roads to avoid. When she asked why she had to avoid some roads, he just simply replied with an impending war, and that she had to stay safe. She just happily learned fast. 

One day, she realized that she had began to fall for him, but she kept it to herself. The last thing that she needed was to drive the only person she knew in this forest, away from her. 

She was picking berries as she waited for him to come back from the market, he had been gone for two days, which was unusual. He was usually only gone for a day a two. Panic began to set in, what if he was hurt? What if someone kidnapped him. She felt the berries in her hand become cold, and looked down to see they had froze in her hand. She dropped them and felt her hands freeze over, more panic set in, when she looked up. 

She saw him walking towards him and she smiled, the panic seem to leave her when she was with him. He didn't have his hat on, his hair was a shaggy mess, the way she liked it. It caused her great happiness when she'd see him. Quickly she ran over, "Jefferson!" she called out. Seeing the worry and panic in her voice, he dropped his satchel and hat on the floor and ran to her fast. 

"Etta, what is it?" he asked worried, as he put his hands on her arms and began to look her up and down for a sign of any injury or harm. 

"The berries! They froze my hands," she said as she lifted them, but they weren't cold anymore. They were okay. 

Jefferson let out a laugh, "I think you've been out in the sun way too long, darling. Let's go inside." 

"But," Etta said as she looked at her hands over again, "The berries, I was picking them and then my hands." 

He wrapped an arm around her, as he carried the satchel and hat in the other hand. "Come in, I'll start supper." 

Etta just nodded. Maybe she had been in the sun way too long. After washing up, Jefferson had made a soup for supper, which she ate fast. It had been two days since she had anything besides berries. Jefferson just smiled as he sat across from her. 

"What?" she said as she wiped her face believing she may have had food on her face. 

"Nothing," Jefferson said as he drank some water. "I just, I missed your company while I was gone." 

A smile came across Etta's face, "And I yours." 

"Oh," he suddenly suddenly as he stood up, and walked over to the satchel. He pulled out a bow and arrows, "I saw this, and I could not help myself." 

Etta smiled and walked over, gently she took them from his hands. "Thank you!" 

He held onto her hands for a belief moment, as they stared into each others eyes. Etta's breathe caught in her chest, as she stared into his eyes. She wanted to kiss him. But dared not get closer. She felt a warmth radiate in her chest.

Love. As he began to inch his face closer the smell of flowers filled the air, his lips were only an inch away, when all the sudden he said her name. 

She turned around, flowers had sprang up in the floorboards, the bottom of his cottage had become a field of flowers. "What's going on? Are you doing that?" 

"No." Jefferson said as they both turned around together to see how far the flowers went. A thought came into his head, "The berries, that you said froze your hand. What were you thinking about." 

A blush came to her face as she faced him, "I thought you were taking too long to come back, and that maybe you were hurt. Or worse." As she let that feeling overwhelm her, Jefferson looked at the floor. The flowers had began to die. He smiled as he put his hands on her face, cupping her cheeks, "Etta, darling. You're magic." 

"What?" Etta asked as she looked around and saw the flowers beginning to disappear into the floor. The cortixaphan, didn't her grandfather tell her once that magic was just science? Maybe, the cortixaphan worked different kind of powers here.  And she found herself laughing, she thought of her mother. Her beautiful mother, and sunflowers began to rise from the floorboards again. "I'm more like my mother than I thought I was." she whispered to herself. 

As she watched the sunflowers begin to rise from the floorboards, Jefferson walked over and took her hand into his. In this field of sunflowers, he had to do it, before he lost the nerve to do it. 

He pulled her back close against him, and he kissed her. 


	3. Chapter 3

Together, Jefferson helped Etta learn how to control her powers. What they knew so far was that she could make flowers come to life, she could also take it, and when she was sad, she could make things frost over. She taught herself to use the bow and arrow and ran through the forest everyday. They were habits that she kept from her time fighting the invaders in her world. She did it to make sure she never got rusty, just in case this really was just a dream.

Jefferson had fallen completely head over heels in love with her. One day, they had traveled to the market together, as they walked through the stalls, they became separated, but he knew they would find each other, as they had before.

After buying some bread and food, he began to look for her. As he did, he spotted a bouquet of white tulips, and for an unknown reason, felt compelled to buy them for her. With a smile on his face, he walked around looking for her, and finally found her near a post selling clothes.

Her fingers ran over a jacket made of leather, and she had a look on her face he had not seen before. The jacket reminded her of the one her mother would wear, sure there were many differences, but it looked like it.

“Darling,” he gently said as he approached her.

“Jefferson.” she said looking up with a smile on her face as she walked towards him. “Are you ready?”

He nodded, and took her hand into his, “What were you looking at, love?”

“Nothing,” Etta lied. “Just a jacket. Let’s go home.”

But he didn’t move, “Do you want it?”

Etta shook her head, she knew that they didn’t have the cooper, or rather the silver for it.  And he knew that as well, it filled him with sadness that he couldn’t buy her what she wanted.

“Are those for me?” she asked with a greater smile on her face, which makes him snap out of his sadness.

“Yes.” he said with a smile on his face as he handed her the white tulips.

“Thank you.” she kissed his cheek and then buried her nose into the flowers.

As Etta began to walk towards the horse they had, they had found it wounded in the forest and nursed it to health, they kept it expecting it to run away but it was there every morning, he made a split decision choice. “I forgot the bread,” he lied, “I’ll be back in a moment.”

He walked over to a man that he had come across before, the man had begged him to take to use his realm skipping powers before to transfer him somewhere else. Jefferson had greatly refused on multiple occasions, even when the man offered an obscene amount of silver for the passage.

But now things were different, he had Etta and he wanted to give her the world.

He told the man that if he still wanted to, that he would take him to wherever he wanted, if the deal still stood. Half the payment upfront and the rest after. The man agreed and thanked him profusely after handing him a bag of silver.

Jefferson felt a pit in his stomach, but he ignored it, he was just happy that he was able to buy the jacket.

Jacket in hand he began to make his way back to Etta, who was standing near their horse talking with a dwarf.

“Oh no.” he muttered as he began to walk faster towards her. He had avoided telling her about the evil queen and her war with snow white, because he knew from her stories that she would want to join the fight. But he couldn’t bear having to lose the one thing that he loved, to a war he wanted no part in.

As he approached them the dwarf walked away and they made their way home. On the walk home they argued for the first time ever.

“All I am saying is that, where I’m from, something similar happened. We fought. We rose up and fought.” Etta said as she walked into the cottage.

“And look what that got you!” Jefferson’s mouth said before his brain processed it, and he knew it was the wrong to say. “Etta,” he said as he saw the hurt on her face. “I am so sorry.”

But it was too late. The damage was done, she took a step back as she looked at him with hurt in her eyes. Ice began to layer everything in the house.

“Etta. I am so sorry. I didn’t mean it.” She just grabbed her bow and arrows and left into the forest. 

"I'll be back for dinner." 

From that day forward, Etta practiced and trained in the forest, while Jefferson was out "guiding" people, is what he told her.

He didn't want to let her know that he was taking people to other realms. And she never told him that she was training because soon she'd be joining Snow White's army.  

And they spent dinners mostly in silence, which broke his heart. He knew that he was slowly losing her. 


	4. Chapter 4

After a couple of days, their anger was forgotten and things had remained normal. Etta never mentioned Snow and everyone who opposed the queen, and Jefferson didn’t either. Soon, they began to smile and laugh just as they always had.

But Etta couldn’t help but wonder what Jefferson was doing to bring income to the house. She knew Jefferson was “guiding” people, but didn’t know what it meant. When she tried to ask one day, he just said helping them get to places they don’t know how to get to. She just shrugged it off, that was until the day he came home with a present for her.

It was a beautiful off the shoulders blue dress that flowed down to her feet. Attached to the back of the dress was a thin material that created a train, and in it, with silver thread intricately placed, was snowflakes woven into it with care.

“Jefferson!” she squealed with a smile, as she danced around the cottage in it. “You shouldn’t have.”

He smiled as he watched her dancing around, and couldn’t help but let his happiness glow off of him. “I couldn’t help myself, I saw it and thought of you.” All the sudden Etta stopped dancing. The expression of her face became serious, and Jefferson became worried. “Is something wrong?”

She bit her lip, “Jefferson, how much did this cost?”

“Does is matter darling?”

“Jefferson,” Etta said as she walked over to him, she stopped just in front of him and reached out for his hands. “How were you able to afford this?”

“I just saved up.” he simply answered as he returned to the stove to finish cooking dinner. Etta just returned to the room and changed back to her regular clothes. She sat on the bed staring a the dress for a while, before finally folding it up, putting it away, and heading to the dining table.

As she sat down Jefferson yelped in pain. "What happened?" she asked as she made her way to him quickly.

"I just burned myself on the stove." Etta took his hand into hers, and nearing her mouth to it, she took a deep breath in and let out a slight exhale onto his hand, causing tiny ice crystals to form on the burn and cooling his skin. Jefferson smiled as the pain began to leave, “How did you learn that one?”

She shrugged, “When I was out in the forest training.”

He felt a sting, 'training', it meant that eventually she would go. Leave. Join snow and the rebellion against the evil queen. They sat and ate in silence, until Etta decided to say something, but before she could, there was a knock at the door.Etta was the closest so she answered. It was the queens guards.

"Ma'am, you need to come with us." one said as the other grabbed her arms.

"What! Why?" she began to mutter as she tried to get away. Jefferson quickly made his way over and shoved the guard off of Etta.

"We demand to know what this is is about!" he said as he got Etta back into his arms.

"You both need to come with us. Now.” The guards repeated as they each grabbed one of them and dragged them away. They sat next to each other not saying a word, just holding each others hands. When they arrived to the castle, the guards separated them, one began to drag Etta down lower into the castle, while the other dragged Jefferson up.

“Etta!” he screamed as he fought against the guards, “Where are you taking her!?”

“Jefferson!” She screamed back, as she tried to fight against the guards. All the flowers in the tower began to wither and die. Before he disappeared from her view, she gathered all the strength she had left in her and yelled down the corridors. “I LOVE YOU JEFFERSON!”  If she was to die here, she was at least going to die, knowing she said what she felt. 

He heard her words echo through the halls as he was dragged up, and anger boiled in him. Standing up straight, he took his arms from the guards, and began to march himself into her chambers.

“Regina!” he said with anger than radiated off of him. “What is the meaning of this!”

The queen turned around wearing her usual bleak black attire. “You will address me, as your queen, Jefferson.”

“What do you want?” he said with no patience and his anger boiling over.

“I need you take me to somewhere, someone of your expertise can only do.”

“You’ve asked me before, and I’ll tell you the same thing. No chance in hell.”

“I was hoping that you changed your mind, after all this time.”

Jefferson scoffed, “What makes you think I would.”

She waved her hand over her mirror, and an image of Etta came up. She was in the dungeons beneath the castle.

“Because, I have her. I have to say, I thought you would have ended up a lonely old man. Imagine my surprise when people in the market wouldn’t stop talking about you two. ”

Jefferson anger was washed away and filled with panic. “Help me get to where I want, or I will have her heart.”

Etta began to throw herself against the bars that held her in, trying to get them to budge. He could see the panic and worry on her face. Tears began to glaze over Jefferson’s eyes, as Regina began to cackle.

“So, what will it be.”

Knowing that he was defeated for the time being, he hung his head down as he choked back tears, he whispered. “Where do you want to go?”

Regina laughed, “Well, I thought you would never ask.” 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * means a quote from the show, I take no credit for the words.

Snow and her troops heard about Jefferson and Etta being trapped in the castle. And they were planning on how to get them out. What Jefferson didn't know was that when Etta was training, she wasn't training alone. She was training with them. And what they didn’t know was that Jefferson was helping Regina acquire magical items from other magical worlds in order to plan a great attack on Snow and her sympathizers. But not even Jefferson knew that, he was just taking her wherever she wanted to go. 

After a month of being locked up, Jefferson was finally allowed to see Etta.

“Jefferson.” she said as she ran into the bars and held his hands through it. “Oh, thank god you’re safe!”

“Etta.” he said gently as he reached in caressed her cheeks. She was smaller than he remembered, from the lack of nutrition, and space. “I love you so much.”

Tears came to her eyes, “I love you too. Jefferson are you okay? What’s happening? Why are we still here.”

Jefferson took a deep breath in, and explained to her what was going on. He explained how he was able to travel across realms, and how Regina threatened to take her life, if he didn’t help. Before they could say anything else, a guard came and moved him along, and again he was summoned by Regina. “I’ll get you out of here, I promise!” Jefferson said over his shoulder.

What neither of them knew, was that Snow and the dwarves were planning on storming the castle that night to free her. It was late at night, and Etta was asleep in her cot, when she heard the wooden door open and someone walking in. She quickly stood up ready for fight. When the door was opened, someone handed her, her bow and arrows. A smile came across her face, “You ready to leave?” Snow asked as she lowered her hood.

“Yes!” Etta smiled as she strapped her arrows to her back, and had an arrow ready in her bow. As she followed Snow and the dwarves out, she stopped. “Wait. What about Jefferson?” she said as she looked around, and found that he was not there among them.

Grumpy spoke up. “We have to go now! She’ll be back any second.”

Snow took Etta’s hand, “Look, we have to go now. We can’t get him right now, because he’s taken her to another realm again. We’ll come back for him later.”

Etta swallowed hard, with a pit in her stomach, she shook it off and nodded. Snow was right, she would have to return for Jefferson some other time.

\--

Upon returning to the cottage, Etta gathered some of her things. Jefferson had forgotten his satchel and she carefully placed the blue dress that he bought her in it, along with other mementos. Dried white tulips. The jacket he bought her. And a hat. One of his many hats. She tearfully smiled as she held it against her chest.

“We have to go.” Etta snapped out of her memories, it was Sneezy.  “She could be sending guards to look for you here. It’s not safe to stay any long.” She nodded as she wrapped the satchel around her and they left.

When they arrived at camp, she went straight to a misshaped tent that was sent up for her, without saying a word to anyone else. When she sat there, she let herself cry into her hands.

“Are you okay?” It was Snow. Etta quickly wiped away her tears and sat up to see her guest.

“I will be.” Etta answered as she stood up and got her bow and arrows. “I’ll be out practicing.”

Snow followed closely behind her, and once they were out of earshot and view of everyone else Snow spoke again. “They can’t see you here, you can let it out now.” She was the only one who knew about Etta's abilities, and helped her with it. Snow had come to know that her magic was not at a price, like the rest of the magic in their world. 

Etta let a loud yell out, and as she did Snow hid behind a tree. A frost wave shot out of Etta, freezing the trees and foliage surrounding her. And then letting herself fall onto the floor, she had been holding it in for so long, that not even she realized how much she had been hurting. And she cried, like she never had before.

Snow came over and ran her hand down her back. She understood Etta’s pain. “The pain you have, it’s temporary. Hold onto the memories that you both shared.”

“But they just hurt more. Knowing that I had him, and he’s gone.” Etta sobbed as she wrapped her arms around Snow to bury her face into her shoulder.  

“I know,” Snow said with tears in her eyes, thinking of Charming. “But you have to, *they are a reminder that our lives will get better, you just have to hope. Believing in the possibility of a happy ending, is a powerful thing.*”

Etta knew Snow was right. She shook of the sadness and stood up. “Thank you Snow. I have to practice now.”

Snow just nodded and let Etta alone to practice, both her archery and magic.

\--

Jefferson laughed as Regina stormed back and forth angrily.

“Well, I’ll just be on my way.” He said as he put his hat on and began to walk out, when suddenly he was frozen in place. “Let me go Regina.”

She quickly made her way in front of him, “No. You still owe me one more trip.”

“I don’t owe you anything. The one thing you had on me, is no longer here. I’m free to go.”

Regina stuck her hand into his chest, to bring him face to face with his beating heart. “You will take me one more place, and I will let you go with your little girlfriend. Or I will snuff the life out of you where you stand, and you will never see her face again.”

The pain was too much to bear, and without hesitation, Jefferson nodded.

“Good.” Regina smirked as she stuck it back in with a punch. “Pack your bags. We’ll leave right now.”

“Where to?” Jefferson said as he took his hat off and began to prepare himself.

“Wonderland.” she simply said with a smirk. 


	6. Chapter 6

The day had finally come. Snow and Charming led everyone into storming the castle and reclaiming what was rightfully theirs. As everything began to set into place, Etta looked for Jefferson, but he was no where to be found. Not in the dungeons, the towers, or any of the rooms.

The queen had escaped to exile, and she was unable to question her about where Jefferson was. But Snow had one of the guards under their watch, and she allowed Etta to ask him about Jefferson’s whereabouts. That’s when she learned he had been left behind in Wonderland.

Etta was miserable as she tried to figure things out. How was she supposed to get to another world. Everyone told her that the only was as magic beans, but they had disappeared with the rest of the giants. How was she going to save him? How was she going to travel to another world at all?

She sat on the bed, of one of rooms, which Snow said she could keep as her own. But she couldn’t sleep, she couldn’t eat. What did it all mean, if she wasn’t able to rescue Jefferson.

She threw her bag against the wall in  anger, which caused everything to scatter out. As she picked up her things, she came across her jacket. The jacket that was much like her mothers.The one that Jefferson had bought her at the market. If only her parents were here. Or her grandfather Walter. They would know what to do. They always came up with a plan, like the time her mother crossed universes to-

WAIT! That’s it! Her mother she crossed universes, maybe she could too. “Okay.” she took a deep breath, as she wrapped the satchel around her, made sure her arrows were strapped tight, and her bow in her hand. “Just think. Crazy cats, crazy queen, and roses.” She closed her eyes tightly, as she continued to imagine the Wonderland that she was told about as a child in fairy tales. “White rabbits, tea parties, and pools of tears.”

She shut her eyes tightly, and thought about all those things. And she felt nothing. “Great.” she huffed at herself. “Maybe I’m not like my mother at all.”

Opening her eyes, she took a deep breath in. She was wrong, she was like her mother in every way. In front of her was a road that was marked in red and white squares, mushrooms littered the land everywhere along with strange looking trees. She wasn’t in the Enchanted Forest anymore, she was in Wonderland.

She tried her best to find her way around, if there was such a place to compare her world to, it was this one. There were more dangers than she thought possible.

After asking around for Jefferson, she came to the conclusion that no one knew him. It wasn’t until she mentioned the hat that he would usually wear, that people would talk about someone they named The Mad Hatter.

Her heart broke, The Mad Hatter? What had happened? Was she too late?

She made her way to the Queen of Hearts palace. Everyone had told her to steer clear, that she was a mad woman who would rip the hearts out of people chest when they opposed her. But Etta mustered her courage up and headed in anyway. Some guards had tried to attack her, but she was angry and confused and instead of using her bow and arrows, she used something she thought she couldn’t. Fire.

She built a wall of fire around her as she made her way through the castle looking for this Mad Hatter. Coming across a room in deepest part of the chambers, she finally let her guard down when she heard his voice.

“Jefferson?!” she said as she banged down a locked door, and what she found broke her heart. Locked in a room full of fabric materials, and behind him were hundreds of hats. Tears began to well in her eyes, as she saw him sitting on a table in the center of room. He was in a crazed daze making hats, muttering to himself something about magic.

She put her bow away, and slowly walked over, and felt her heart shatter into pieces. She didn’t even notice that with every step she took, she froze the ground beneath her. Standing in front him, he didn’t even notice her, she reached out to touch his hand. But he finally noticed her and jumped back off the table. “Who are you!” he demanded. With that a single tear from her eyes, “Etta.” she simply whispered back. “My name is Etta.”

“Make yourself useful.” he said as he pushed some material and a needle her way.

“I’m not here to make hats.” Etta said swallowing the lump in her throat down.

“Then what good are you!”

“I’m here to take you home.” she said as she made her way around the table, and towards him.

“This is my home!”

“No, its not.” He began to back away and his shirt was worn and tattered, and on his neck she could see a scar of a sort. She reached up about to touch his face, when she heard a voice behind her “He doesn’t remember you.” she quickly drew an arrow on her bow and turned around to see a lady standing there. “It’s a spell they casted on him. He’s nothing but the Mad Hatter now. But I can help.”

“Who are you!” Etta demanded.

“I am someone trying to escape this horrible land just as you.”

“What do you want?”

“I saw what you did out there, and I need help. Where I am from we need someone who can do what you do. The ice. The fire. I can help you, if you help me.”

“How can you help me?” Etta demanded not letting her bow down.  

“This,” the lady said as she pulled a bottle out of her coat. “I heard someone say that it’s a powerful potion that can undo spells. No matter how powerful. I held onto it in case I would ever use it. But if you help me, I’ll help you. I’ll give it to you.”

Etta began to lower her bow, and was about to thank her, when the lady spoke again.

“There is one catch though.”

“What is it?”

“It won’t undo ALL the damage that was caused to him.”

“What does that mean?” Etta said feeling the pit in her stomach getting greater.

“Whatever they did to scramble his brain, it will help him become, slightly more normal. But I don’t know what they may have done with his memories or thoughts. It could take longer to get those back.”

“It’s a chance I’m willing to take.”

Guards shouting down the hallways snapped their process along. The lady closed the door, as Etta tried to calm down Jefferson enough to drink the potion.

“We don’t have enough time.” the lady yelled. “We have to leave.”

Etta shoved all thoughts aside, against Jefferson’s will, she grabbed his hand, and the lady’s in the other. Closing her eyes, she thought about home. The cottage. The forest.

“How did you do that?” the woman asked.

“Nevermind that.” Etta said as she crouched next to Jefferson. They were on the forest floor outside of the cottage.  “You need to drink this.” she said as she practically forced the liquid into into his mouth. Coughing, he began to crawl away from her. He began to stand up and look around himself.

“How did I get outside?”

“Jefferson?” Etta asked.

“Have we met?” he asked as he looked her over, and at the woman with her.Etta held back tears, and a sob, as she whispered.“No, sorry. I thought you were someone else.”

“Are you sure?” he asked as he looked at the woman and back at Etta.

Etta nodded as she held back tears. “My daughter and I, came across your cottage, and found you unconscious out here. We’re sorry if we were a bother, we’ll just make our way now.” the woman answered seeing that Etta was unable to do so.

“Not a bother at all.” Jefferson said. “If you like I have a map inside that might help you on your travels.”

“That would be very kind of you.” the woman replied.

“Wait here.” he disappeared into the house, and at that moment, Etta grabbed the woman’s hand and began to drag her away.

“We need to go now.” Etta said her voice cracking. When they reached a clearing, Etta let a sigh out and looked at the woman. “Where are we going?”

“A place called Arendelle.”

“Arendelle.” Etta repeated to herself. “Okay. My name is Etta by the way. Tell me somethings about the place we’re going. And I can get us there.”

“It’s beautiful, there’s a castle near the water. Surrounded by beautiful foliage and mountains.”

“Okay.” Etta held onto the woman hand, and closed her eyes as she concentrated on the imagery that the woman was feeding her.

“And my name is Cora.”

"Okay, Cora. Hold on tight." 


	7. Chapter 7

Arriving in Arendelle, Etta was ambushed by guards and Cora was no where to be found. She was on her own. She tried to fight them off, before realizing that she should stand down. The guards took her in, and she willingly went. “Wait, here Elsa.” one guards said as they shoved her into a cell.

“MY NAME IS ETTA! NOT ELSA! ET-” she said but they just walked away and slammed the door shut.

“Oh, Etta!” she turned around to see Cora sitting on the other side of the cell. Cora  wrapped her arms around her neck, “I am so happy to see you are unharmed. I was so worried.”

Etta embraced the lady. “What is this place?”

“We lost our king and queen long ago. They left behind one of their daughters to take over the kingdom, but as she is not of age at the moment, the kingdom lies in shambles.”

“That’s horrible.” Etta whispered to herself as she sat down.

“Yes, but,” Cora said as she walked over and stood in front of her.

“But?” Etta asked looking up waiting for Cora to finish her sentence. When Cora’s hand shot out and into her chest. Etta was knocked back against the wall with a searing burning pain in her chest, as she felt Cora grip her heart. “You look like their lost princess. The one that died with them at sea. The guards just confirmed it as well, you look just like her.  And you are going to be my key to taking over here.”

She slowly pulled out of Etta’s chest, with her beating heart in her hand, and as she did, she casted a forgetting spell. For her to forget who she was, and to begin planting new ones. After an hour of work, she spoke into Etta’s heart. “Who are you?”

Etta stood up straight, and looked at Cora in the eye. “My name is Elsa. Lost princess of Arendelle. My parents died on the ship we were on at sea. I ended up shipwrecked.”

“Yes.” Cora smiled. “And who am I?”

“The woman I owe my life to. The woman who helped me know who I was and protected me as I made my way back. The woman that I shall keep as my close confident in my court.”

“Yes.” Cora smiled even wider. “Now dear. Lets call the guards, and let them know who you are.”

-

Not a day had passed by since walking out of his cottage to finding the two woman gone, that Jefferson didn’t think about the blond. There was something about her face.

He continued to do some guiding work here and there, but nothing big. He began to feel lonely in his cottage.

One day he was looking for a particular hat, but couldn’t find it. As he continued to rummage through all the things in his house he kept coming across dried white tulips. Why did he have these in his house?

He had finally came to the conclusion that he was forgetting something, and decided to ask a witch for help. As he headed off to find one that could help him, he ran into a dwarf who greeted him like an old friend.

“Hello Jefferson. How is Etta these days? We miss her.”

“Etta?” Jefferson asked confused. Confused that a dwarf knew him, and was asking him about someone he did not know.

“Oh boy.” the dwarf said. “They really did a number on you over there didn’t they?” the dwarf said shaking his head. He reached into his pocket. “Here, I was saving it in case I might need it later. You know in this war in all. But I think you might need it best. Once you take it, let Etta know she’s needed.”

Jefferson just stared at the bottle in his hand as the dwarf walked away. What was the world coming to?

After the strange encounter he decided to go home instead. Once there he paced back and forth staring at the bottle. Should he take it? Throw it out? When realizing it’s what he wanted all along, he drank it.

He was knocked back as a wave of images filled his brain. Meeting Etta. Helping Etta. Etta. The queen. His head. His neck. The hats. Wonderland. Oh god. Etta!

He ran outside as if magically she would be standing there.

But she wasn’t.

Running back into the house, he remembered what the dwarf said. “If you see here, tell her she’s needed.” She must be in another realm. If she could travel to Wonderland, she must have traveled somewhere else. Then recognition kicked in. He remembered now where he had seen that woman that was with Etta, it was Cora.

He slammed his fist into the table. He should have known better. He should have told her all about this world and it’s danger.

Grabbing his hat from it’s hiding place, Jefferson placed it on the floor with care, and began to think. He didn’t know where he was going, but he was going to go. He was going to find Etta, just as she had found him. No matter how many realms he had to close, or how long it would take.

The hat began to spin, and as the portal opened he jumped in. “First stop, Oz.” 


	8. Chapter 8

It had been a month since Jefferson started his quest to find Etta, but he still was unable to locate her. Oz. The forest. Hell, he even tried Doctor Frankenstein's world. Nothing.

He was beginning to lose hope. But when he did, he looked at the dried white tulips he had in his pocket. He’d find her. He knew he would.

-

For the next couple of months, Etta was no longer Etta. She was Elsa. As Cora followed her and told her what to do and say. Anna, the young princess, believed Etta to be Elsa as well, and the two girls got along well. They would smile, play, and share inside jokes like sisters always did. Once Etta was fully accepted, and coronated as queen, Cora enacted her plan.

She pushed Etta to the brink of death one day, causing a snowstorm like none ever seen before. And had Etta crown her queen in her place.

Cora finally had everything she wanted. She kept everyone in place with Etta as her personal bodyguard. When people would challenge her, she’d have Etta reduce them to ash with fire, or freeze them and put outside in the courtyard to be made examples out of.

For laughs, Cora had her wear the blue dress that was at the bottom of her bag. The one Jefferson had given her, but because of her memory spell, Etta believed it was a gift from Cora to her. And happily wore it as a sign of power wherever she walked.

People came to fear the queen of Arendelle, and the woman known as Etta.

\--

Falling into a new land he hadn’t visited before, Jefferson found himself in need of a coat. Snow covered everything, it blanketed the land, and he had no idea where he was.

He began to make his way to a some village, and began to listen to conversations. From what he could hear, he was in a place called Arendelle, and there was a fearsome queen. As he spend more time within the markets with the people, he learned that Queen Elsa had stepped down and given the land over to someone named Cora, and used magic to make things freeze over.

“Cora?” Jefferson reacted in surpise, this had to be where Elsa was,  would repeat the name to himself various times. “Elsa?”

A queen, who magically appeared some time ago, and could make snow? It had to be Etta. But Elsa? Why go by a different name? And why hurt these people? He had to go to the castle and find out.

Walking into the courtyard entrance of the castle he could tell why people feared the castle. It was littered with people frozen in fear. 

Etta couldn't have done this, he thought to himself. His heart broke, these people looked as if they were fleeing, or cowering in fear. As he made his way carefully around them, he walked into the castle. It was empty, his steps echoed through the hallways. 

He slowly made his way through hallways towards the throne room. 

As he walked in, he found Cora sitting on the throne as she yelled some instructions to what seemed like a farmer.

Cora was sitting between two people, on the right of Cora was a girl with brown hair braided into pigtails, and to the left of Cora was Etta. She was wearing the blue dress he had bought her, and her blonde hair was braided back. 

"Elsa, get him out of my sight." Cora barked orders. 

"With pleasure." Etta said as she took a step forward, the brunette just looked away. Etta raised her hand up towards the farmer, frost began to cover the tip of her fingers and the ground around her, as he got on his knees and began to plead. Cora just laughed as she brought a cup up to her lips to drip from. Now he knew where the statues came from. Etta. Cora was controlling Etta. 

"No!" he yelled as he ran across the room and shoved the farmer out the way, as the ice that shot out of Elsa's hand hit a statue on the other side of the room.

"Etta." Jefferson said as he got up and ran to her. "This isn't you!" 

And he realized what was happening when Etta said, "Who the hell are you?"  

 


	9. Chapter 9

Jefferson paced in his cell in the dungeon. Princess Anna had convinced her sister and the Queen Cora to not kill him. Instead to lock him in the dungeon and make an example of him in front of everyone in the kingdom later.

Cora smiled and nodded. She was happy that Anna was finally thinking like her, and agreed to it. But what she didn’t know was that Anna had other plans. Pacing his cell, the doors swung open and Anna walked in.

“Quickly, we don’t have much time.” she whispered as she shoved clothes at him.

“What is going on?” he asked confused as he picked up the clothes and realized that it was a guard uniform.

“Look, I’ve been looking for someone to help my sister. I know Cora is controlling her because she stole her heart. I saw her talking into it one day. I just need help getting it back to her.”

“Etta?”

“Why do you call her Etta?” Anna asked perplexed as she handed him a helmet. “I don’t know how or why you know my sister. But I need your help.”

Jefferson nodded as he quickly began to put on the uniform and helmet. “Last time I saw the heart, it was in Cora’s chambers, start there. Its the second room on the right on the third floor.” And with that Anna opened his cell and quickly left. He took a deep breath in as he made sure the uniform was on right and made his way out to the hallway.

Doing as Anna told him, he made his way to the third floor. As he passed other guards, maids and servants of the castle he made sure to not draw to any attention to himself. Looked straight ahead and made it look like he belonged wherever he was. But how did he know if Anna wasn’t telling the truth? What if this was some elaborate plan to kill him by Cora. But he continued, he would gladly die trying to free Etta from whatever spell she had her under.

Taking a deep breath in, he opened the door to the second room as Anna told him. Inside he found various items, and books, but no heart. He began to scour every nook and cranny that he could find. Under the bed, behind the dresser, under the dresser, when he felt like giving up.

That was until he spotted a small box at the bottom of the dresser. He quickly picked it up and opened it to find a bright red heart that continued to pump, despite it not being in a body. He knew it had to be Etta’s. Filled with happiness he tucked the box underneath his coat and began to find his way downstairs to find Etta.

He had no idea what to do or how, but he was going to. He needed to.

As he reached the throne room, Anna and Etta were standing there waiting for Cora to appear, they hugged. And Jefferson understood why Anna helped him, she truly believed Etta was her sister and needed for her to be released from whatever spell Cora had her under.

Jefferson quickly took the helmet off and ran over to Anna and Etta. “I got it.” he said as Anna and Etta turned around to face him. Anna smiled and Etta looked confused, quickly she put Anna behind her. “Criminal! You escaped the dungeons.”

She raised her hand up in his direction with the intention of freezing him where he stood, when Anna knocked her hand away. “No! He’s here to help us!”

“Help us how?” Etta said in surprise. “He is a criminal.”

“No he’s not.” Anna smiled as she took Etta’s hands into her. “He’s here to give you, your heart.”

“My heart?” Etta asked confused.

Jefferson stood in front of them, and took the box out of his pocket. “Yes. Cora has been controlling you.”

“Controlling me? What lies has this criminal been feeding you?”

“Its not him! It’s me I saw her do it!”

“Anna.” Etta said sadly, believing her sister had been losing her mind.

“Look!” Anna said as Jefferson handed her the box, and Anna opened it.

“Oh my.” Etta said as she looked at the heart.

“How dare you!” Cora screeched behind them.

“Do it now!” Anna said as she shoved the box at Jefferson.

Cora lifted a hand at Anna. Jefferson quickly took the heart out of the box, as he did, an invisible force lifted Anna into the air as she screamed. “I’m sorry.” Jefferson said to Etta, and with a swift movement shoved her heart back into her chest.

She cried out in pain as she clutched her chest, and with that he was suddenly lifted into the air and bound with Anna. “You fools!” Cora said and both Anna and Jefferson cried out in pain as they felt an invisible force begin to crush them.

“STOP!” Etta yelled out with a hand towards Cora. “Let go of my sister!”

When Cora didn’t do anything, Etta let a blast of ice out which froze the hand that Cora held up at Jefferson and Anna, causing them to fall out of the air.

“You fool!” Cora yelled as Etta ran to Anna’s side.

“Are you okay?” Etta said with panic in her voice as she helped Anna up.

“I am now.” Anna said as she wrapped her arms around her sister.

As Jefferson picked himself off the ground he saw that Cora was no where to be found. She was gone. As he walked over the two girls broke their embrace and Etta began to cry. “Oh my goodness. All those people, it’s all my fault. I hurt them all.”

“No, no!” Anna said as she held her sister again. “It was Cora, she was controlling you. We can make it right again.”

Jefferson stood right next to them, when Etta looked at him. She let go of her sister. “Thank you for helping my sister.” she said as she hugged him. "And for getting my heart back."

He stood frozen and didn’t move, she still didn’t remember him.

“Come on.” Etta said to Anna as she let him go. “I have some people and a town to unfreeze.” She held out her hand and he watched as Etta and Anna walked out hand in hand.

How could she not remember him? He walked out to the courtyard where she was beginning to unfreeze the frozen people. When a thought occurred to him. Returning her heart was only half of it. It got her out of Cora’s control. But not her memories back. Maybe it was a spell. Then he thought about Snow and Prince Charming. They were always beating the odds because of true love. Maybe that’s what would help.

He began to walk briskly and before he could think it through, he grabbed her arm, turned her around took her face into his hands, and kissed her.


	10. Chapter 10

Two months passed and things in Arendalle were finally getting to normal. Etta had made the snow melt away and the people back to normal. Slowly they all began to accept her. They knew she was not Elsa, but they didn’t care. Anna told everyone the truth, Cora had cast a spell on them to make them think she was Elsa, and stolen her heart to control her. But all the good she was doing was making up for it now.

Anna hugged Etta in the throne room. “I wish you didn’t have to go.” Anna said with tears in her eyes.

“I know, me either.” The two had become close, almost sister like even after the spell was broken. “But at least you have Kristoff now.” She whispered at Anna who giggled.

“It just won’t be the same.” Anna said tearfully again.

“Darling?” Jefferson said as she walked up behind them.

“Jefferson.” Anna smiled and hugged him. “It was great having you. Take care of Etta for me.”

“Of course.” he said with a smile. He had come to like the girl, and stayed with Etta in Arendalle as they rebuilt it back the last two months. She had gained her memories after true loves kiss, causing everyone in Arendalle who might have been under a spell awaken as well.

They pulled away and Anna looked at Etta, “Please come visit if you can.” she said  with tears now running down her face.

“Please don’t cry.” Etta smiled with tears glazing her eyes, as she wiped tears off Anna’s face. “I’ll always be with you.”

Anna nodded as Etta and Jefferson walked away hand and hand.

\--

“Don’t be nervous.” Snow said as she adjusted Etta’s viel again. “You said yes for a reason, and he asked for a reason.”

Etta let out a deep breath and smiled. Snow was right.

“Besides,” Snow said with a huge smile, “He broke the spell with his kiss didn’t he. True love.”

She was completely right, Etta didn’t know why she was so nervous. She loved Jefferson and Jefferson loved her. They went to the extremes to find each other -twice! It was meant to be.

Once Snow had heard Jefferson proposed, she made sure that they would get married at her castle. She made sure no expense was too much for her friends. LEft alone in the room again Etta looked at herself in her wedding dress and smiled. She couldn’t believe this was happening, and she felt a ping of sadness. She wished her parents were here. She wished her grandfather was there. She wished Astrid was there. She wished Simon was there. She stood up straight and finally walked out of the room. She knew that they would all be happy for her. She grabbed her bouquet of white tulips and made her way down the aisle.

There was a handful of people at the wedding. Snow, Charming, the dwarves and other friends they made through the adventures. Etta realized that her home was here now. With her new friends, and her soon to be husband. She looked up and saw Jefferson standing at the altar next to the priest and couldn’t help but let a tear fall.

He was wearing a suit, his hair was slicked back, and in typical Jefferson fashion, he had his top hat in his hands. As she walked down the aisle she heard people whisper to each other about how she looked in her dress. How beautiful she was. How happy they looked. How happy they were for both of them. She could even hear one of the dwarves start to cry.

Jeffersons eyes also began to tear up as he watched her walk down the aisle, he had no idea what he had ever done in his lifetime to deserve her, but she was here now. And he had no intention of letting her go.

Looking into each others eyes they smiled widely and greatly. Before they knew it they were saying their ‘I do’s, and on their way to their honeymoon.

\--

A year passed by faster than they ever thought. And before they knew it, they had little Grace. Their bundle of joy. She looked just like her father in every way, and Etta couldn’t help but smile.

They lived in happiness.

That was until the day Regina enacted the curse. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking this trip with me <3  
> 

“You can’t leave Etta. Please. This time I am begging you.” Jefferson said in  hushed voice. It was late in the night, and Grace had already fallen asleep.

“Jefferson, honey. I have to. I know that Anna is not really my sister, but that kingdom, they are all like family. If I don’t warn them about this curse that Regina is going to enact, who will?” Etta said with a distraught pain. She had thought about this for days. She hadn’t slept, or ate since hearing about Regina’s curse. She didn’t know what that meant for her family, or for the people in the enchanted forest, or for the people of Arendalle.

Jefferson let his head fall into his hands, “I know darling. I know. It’s just…” he dare not say it. Not out loud, it would be bad luck.

“What if I don’t come back.” Etta finished it for him.

Jefferson took her hand into his hands. “I can’t lose you, not again. Not after all we’ve been through Etta. Darling, please.”

She took his face into her hands and kissed him. “And we prove we can survive, and we will always find our way back to each other. Please. I have to warn Anna and Arendalle.”

Jefferson knew that there was no use in arguing with her. She would always be head strong. He just simply nodded his head.

Etta walked back into Grace’s bedroom and kissed her forehead. She couldn’t help but feel sad, there was a possibility that she might not be able to make it back. But she had too. She owed it to Arendalle one last time after all the damage she caused.

The girl stirred in her sleep, but did not wake, and Etta pulled the blanket up higher, tucking her in.

She closed the bedroom door behind her as she made her way to the front door. Jefferson stood there with her bag, bow and arrows, and a hat in his hands.

“Take care,” he said as he handed the bow and arrows to her.

“I will.” She said as she slung her bag around her shoulder, “Why do you have your hat?”

He gave her a small sad smile, “It’s yours.” He placed it gently on her head and pulled her against him, kissing her. “A piece of me for you to have near you everyday.”

Etta smiled and kissed him again. “I’ll be back soon I promise.”

\--

“Etta!” Anna screamed happily as she ran across the throne room, causing her to give Etta a hug with such force that knocked them back.

“It’s good to see you too Anna.” Etta said as she wrapped her arms around the girl.

“What are you doing here?”

“Well, I’m afraid it’s bad.”

Etta quickly told Anna about Regina, and rumors about a curse. She told her she didn’t know exactly what it was, or what it would do, but from the threat that had arisen from it, everyone was on alert. Ready for anything.

“How do we prepare against this attack?” Anna asked worried, Kristoff now by her side. They held each other with such care and love, it made her miss Jefferson.

As Etta was about to say something else, a guard ran in out of breath. “Your majesty!” he said trying to regain composure. “There’s something coming from the ocean. It’s unexplainable.”

Together Anna, Kristoff, and Etta ran out of the castle and to the docking piers. In the distance, there was a bank of purple clouds that began to approach faster by the second. Kristoff wrapped his arms around Anna and held her close. There was nothing they could do. It was coming too fast.

Etta closed her eyes as tears began to fall. She held the hat he gave her in her hands tightly making sure she didn't lose it. “I am so sorry Jefferson.” she whispered into the wind as the clouds over took Arendalle.

\--

Jefferson sat outside all night waiting for her to come back. She said she would come back, and he was going to wait. It wasn’t until he saw animals scatter and ran that he noticed the dark purple clouds.

“No.” he muttered. Etta wasn’t back yet, she had to be back by now. No.

Seeing how close the clouds were, tears began to sting his eyes and he walked inside. Grace was still asleep, and he made his way to the bedroom.

He let himself sob as he sat on the bed, and pulled Grace into his lap. He kissed her forehead and held onto her tightly. He wasn’t going to let her go.

 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I changed my mind, I will keep this story going on just a little bit longer. I just didn't want to end it how it was going to end.

28 years. 28 long years. 28 long excruciating years. In the curse. Frozen in time. But Etta never gave up hope, she knew sooner or later it would finally fail and she would be with Jefferson and Grace once again.

\--

For 28 long years, Jefferson watched as Grace lived with someone else she believed to be her family. Who loved and cared for her. Who would drive her to school and home. Who would kiss her injuries when she got hurt.

It was hard, but finally the curse had lifted, and Grace and Jefferson were united. They had tried searching for Etta, but realized that she wasn’t in Storybrooke. Without magic around, Jefferson was not able to make his hat work again. They agreed that as soon as they would be able to go back to the Enchanted Forest for her, they would. But for now they had to make the best out of their situation and resume their life in Storybrooke as best they could.

\--

Once the spell had been broken, Anna and the rest of Arendalle awoke. But not without it’s tragedies, once being awaken Anna fell sick and unable to run the kingdom of Arendalle. Kristoff stood at her bedside taking care of her, and as the people had come to love and trust Etta, she ran the kingdom as Anna recovered. Everyday she longed to see her family again, but she knew she had to help Arendalle as much as she could. There was no way she could leave them defenseless and with no one to lead them.

But as she did, her sadness meant that the land was always covered in a small blanket of snow. She did her best to control her emotions, but she missed them. She longed to sit on the couch curled in Jeffersons arm as Grace danced and sung in front of the fire. To be at the dinner table with them. The only thing that kept her going was knowing that they were together and hopefully safe.

Once Anna was finally able to lead, Etta left, and realized that things weren’t what they used to be in the Enchanted Forest.

In fact, she was in a different time now. The spell had frozen time, but it affected each world differently. In Arendalle, 28 years had past. But in the Enchanted Forest, time reversed. It went back 28 years, and Etta found herself helpless.

She sat in clearing crying, she couldn’t believe what had happened. Why didn’t she just listen to Jefferson. Why didn’t she stay.

After what seemed like an hour, she headed into the town square to find someplace to stay. She was careful who she talked to, and not to run into past Jefferson. It broke her heart to see him, she had seen him once and could not recognize him. His hair was short and spiked, his clothing was dark and nothing like she seen before, and what he never told her was that he used to work for Regina. He wasn’t the Jefferson that she had known and loved, and it took everything in her to keep from running into his arms.

Finally after walking around, she found a tavern to sit in for the night. She ordered something to drink while she stared at the wooden table, she counted the rings on the table as if she could find out how old the tree was at the time of it’s cutting. But she did it to help her keep her mind off her situation. She had no idea what to do, how was she going to travel forward in time.

As she continued to spend the night listening to people talk, she heard more  whispers of someone. She remembered him being mentioned once or twice before, but now she was desperate. Someone who had the magically ability to make anything happen. He was ruthless, vile but could give you whatever your heart desired.

And soon began to ask questions, she needed to know more about the one they called the dark one. Rumplestiltskin.  

He was her only hope.

Standing in a clearing, she did what she heard around town, and out loud spoke the name.   
“Rumplestiltskin.” she said, after a moment, nothing happened. Maybe she didn’t say it loud enough. “Rumplestiltskin!” she yelled.  
“There’s no need to shout dearie!” he heard a voice say behind her.   
There stood the dark one, in all his green crocodile skin glory.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took so long to write these last two chapters. And I feel bad that it did, but here is one. And I will post the other one tomorrow.

After a long conversation with Rumple, they finally agreed on some terms. Rumple would send her to the world that Jefferson and Grace were in, for exchange for her powers.

Etta didn't quite understand how that would

work, but he assured her that it would. She would be with her family, magicless and she began to have some doubts about whether or not this was the right thing to do.

"Dearie, you are wasting my time. Do you want this deal or not?"

"I want it." Etta said standing up and staring him straight in the eye. "Do it."

He cackled an evil chuckle and rubbed his hands together, "This is going to sting a bit." He pulled out a blue bottle from his pocket and uncorked, almost immediately Etta began to feel a burning sensation within her that spread everywhere in her body. She held onto a tree as she began to cry out in pain, and saw a stream of blue and gold flow out of her and into the bottle, which she could only assume was her magic.

After a minute, which felt like forever to her in her pain, Rumple chuckled again and placed the cork back on the bottle. "Thank you so much Dearie."

"How do I get to my family." She choked out in pain as she sat on the forest floor.

"Through there." He said as he waved his wand and a portal opened in front of her on the floor. "Be careful it's a bumpy ride." He laughed.

"Will it kill me?" Etta asked over the roaring noise of the portal.

"Dearie, it will close up soon. Better not waste this time asking questions.”

She looked back to see that it indeed was beginning to close inch by inch,as much as she hated this, this was her only hope. Mustering up as much strength as she could after the ordeal she just went though, she stood up and walked to the shrinking portal. Looking down into it, she saw no end, just  And without another hesitation, she jumped in.

\--

Sirens. Were those police sirens?

“Are you okay?” She heard a female voice ask. Her head pounded and her heart raced, where was she? She began to slowly open her eyes to find herself laying on some concrete floor, and a blonde bent over examining her face. “Can you tell me your name?”

Etta tried to say something but her mouth felt dry and her throat felt closed up, all that came out was a small pathetic. “EEhh.”

“Alright, come on.” She said as the blond began to help her up, as she stood up Etta felt pain in every fiber of her being and leaned onto the blond for support.

“Wow, how drunk are you?” the blond asked as she helped her into the back of a car, which Etta recognized as a cop car. “I’m Sheriff Swan by the way. I’m just going to take you to the station, get you some water. Okay.”

Etta simply nodded, she was still trying to figure things out. This was similar to the world that she had originally lived in, but there was no invaders, and there was grass and trees everywhere. It made her happy that so much foliage was in bloom here, but at the same time she worried that maybe she had jumped into the wrong world. They began to leave the forest behind and some buildings began to come into view. The streets were empty but she could make out a library, a diner and some other establishments and she knew it, this was a world where there were no invaders and she began to feel happy again.

Until they arrived at the police station.

Sheriff Swan placed her into a jail cell, out of procedure, she said, Etta disliked this, but accepted it. The sheriff has been kind enough to be patient with her until she was able to talk, and even gave her a lunch and water.

After about a half hour, someone had arrived and the it made Etta freeze in fear.

“What is it Swan?” she heard that familiar voice cackle.

“Well, we have a new comer, I thought you said that no one could get into town from outside.”   
“They  shouldn’t,” the two continued their conversation out of Etta’s line of sight but she knew who it was.   
As they came around the corner, Etta saw her face and knew it. There stood the Evil Queen. The woman who she blamed all her misfortune on. “You!” Etta shouted as she made her way across the cell and outstretched her hand in an instant reaction to try to shoot fire or ice at her. But nothing happened.

“So I see you two know each other.” The sheriff said.

Regina looked at Etta and sighed, “Something like that, in a lifetime ago.”

“What is this place? What is she doing here? Did you place a spell on everyone here like in the forest?”

“Wow, waste no time with the questions do you.” the sheriff said.

“Swan, call your mother, she’ll be the only to help her.” Regina said and off she was again.

“Your mother?” Etta said angrily. “What is your mother going to do? Take my heart out?”

“Hey, calm down okay. We’re just trying to help.” She said as she walked away and began to talk into her cellphone.

An hour later Etta heard the doors open again and the sheriff talking to someone. “She’s in here,

Regina said to call you. That you would be able to help her.”

“Me?” she heard a second voice say. They turned the corner and Etta backed into a corner preparing for the worst, when she say who was with the sheriff.

“Snow!” Etta said happily running towards the bars and reaching her hands out towards her old friend.

“Etta! We thought you were lost forever!” Snow said as she held her arms through the bars. “Em, open the door.”

The sheriff listened the Snow and opened the door, and in no time Snow was inside embracing Etta.

“Where were you?” Snow asked as she held her close.

“Arendale.” Etta said as she held onto her old friend in happiness, but then remembered. “The evil queen is here.” she said in a panic at her friend.

“Oh Etta,” Snow said as she led her out of the cell and onto a couch. “there is so much I need to tell you.”


	14. Chapter 14

Snow had taken Etta back to her home, and over tea told her everything. How Regina was no longer the Regina they had known, that this place was their new home, how anyone who left would forget who they were. How everyone was just trying to rebuild here.

It was then that Etta perked up, apparently everyone had been transported from the forest to this town. Hope began to bubble inside of her, that meant that Jefferson and Grace had to be here.

Somewhere.

After resting and beginning to digest all this new information, she began to feel anxious, she wanted to go and look for them. But everyone kept telling her to wait and to rest first. With all the running and struggles she had been faced lately,she agreed and laid down on the couch for a moment, just to rest, but within seconds she was asleep.

A moment after she had fallen asleep, Charming walked through the door with Swan, “How is she?” he asked Snow.

“Okay. She’s mostly tired, she’s gone through a lot.” Snow said as Charming stood next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“I can only imagine.”

“Did you find where they are?” Snow asked Swan.

“Yeah, some little cabin on the outskirts of town, just inside the forest.” Swan said. “Are we sure that we should take her to them?”

“We have to, that’s her family.”

“Yeah, but shouldn’t we ask if they want to see her at least. I mean it has been years.”

“Believe us Emma, Jefferson and Grace will want to see her right away.”

 

When Etta awoke, there was a lunch awaiting her, and Swan had told her that she wanted to take her somewhere. “Thank you Sheriff, but I must decline. I have someone to look for.”

“Please stop calling me Sheriff, call me Emma. And just come with me, I have something I think you’ll find interesting. If you don’t, then I can help you find who you are looking for.”

Etta couldn’t pass that opportunity up, “You have a deal, Emma.”

The two got in the car and Emma began to drive them away from town. At first Etta was a bit hesitant, especially when Emma stopped the car in the middle of nowhere and told her they would have to walk.

“Where are we going?” Etta finally asked as she exited the car.

“You’ll see.” Emma simply smiled.   
Etta got out and followed Emma’s lead. Soon the forest ground began to make a small beaten path, and Etta let out a small gasp. It lead to small house with a path that was outlined in different beautiful colored stones, on either side of the front door were two little gardens of beautiful white tulips. Some place deep down inside a voice told her to not get excited that this didn’t mean anything. Maybe this was just a beautiful house that Emma had found and were welcoming her into their community. Snow knew how much she loved those flowers, maybe that was it. Snow had planned this. Yeah thats’ it. Etta choked back tears. She loved this house, it reminded her of the home she shared with Jefferson back in the enchanted forest.

Emma continued to walk up the path, halfway to the door, she turned around to see Etta frozen in place at the end of the path. “Come on,” Emma said as she returned to Etta side. “There’s someone who’d love to meet you.”

Etta’s heart began to thump faster in her chest, and her throat closed up as her eyes began to water. Hope. This was hope. Hope that what was within that house was all that she had awaited for.

She walked slowly behind Emma, who began her journey to the front door again, she was only half way up the path when Emma knocked on the door. From where she stood, all she could see was Emma’s back and the outline of the door frame.

Hope was such a fragile thing. It could be build up so easily, and the breakdown of it was devastating. but Etta couldn’t help but hope.

“Hey,” Emma said as the door slightly open. “I know you guys don’t like to be bothered, but my parents thought you’d like to meet their friend. She just got here.”

She heard some muffled response, before she heard a girl say, “Emma! Is Henry coming over today?”

“No, not right now, maybe later.” Emma said, “I actually have someone I want you both to meet.”

Emma stood off to the side, and Etta now saw, the two people she had been searching for.

Granted they looked different, slightly older. But there they were.

Tears began to stream down her face, her throat closed up and she stood frozen in disbelief.

“Etta,” Jefferson choked out as tears began to stream down his face.

“Mommy?” Grace said in surprise.

And finally Etta let a sob out as she smiled. She was finally with her family.

“Mommy!” Grace yelled as she began running towards her and into her arms.

Etta picked her up and kissed her face. “Oh Grace, how I’ve missed you.”

“I missed you more mommy.” Grace said as she nuzzled her face into the crevice between her neck and shoulder.

Jefferson slowly walked up the path unable to say anything. Just stare, was this really happening? Was the love of his life really here? Was there family finally complete.

As he stood there he took them both into his arms, and he held onto them tightly.

“There’s so much I missed isn’t there.” Etta cried as she combed back Grace’s hair and taking a look at her daughter who was at least two years older than the last time she had seen her.

“Come inside.” Jefferson said as he held her hand. “You’re home now.”

“Home.” Etta whispered to herself as she walked in after him.

They were home.

  
  
  
  



End file.
